Fleetwood – Bullying

In Santee, Ca., when his threats were ignored, an angry 15 year old boy brought a gun to school and killed two classmates. The troubled youth gave off many signs that were clearly obvious to his schoolmates and teachers, but no one was trained to be sensitive to such problems and the possible implications of traditional teenage cruelty.

At Westfield High, there were many signs that Cho was deeply disturbed, dangerously alienated and horribly tormented. Teachers and school officials should have noticed and taken actionfor his undiagnosed autism and alienation.. A guidance counselor should have talked to Cho and his parents. Educators could/should have consulted with his teachers – who all saw the problems – and gotten help for this tormented child.

The problems of bullying are everywhere, in every school, town, and city in America. If nothing changes, the consequences and mayhem will continue to traumatize the entire nation, again and again.

Around the corner from me at an elite private school in Manhattan, a 13 year old boy has eaten lunch alone for the last three years, because it has become a game among the other students to get up and leave the table when he comes to sit. I wrote a letter to the headmaster, but never got an answer. I was told the administrators don’t want to interfere, because, “It is an age-old problem.”